New Jersey Comptroller Recommends Withholding Medicaid Payment From Lowest-Rated Nursing Homes

The New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) recommends withholding Medicaid payments and/or participation from those long-term care facilities (LTCs) in the state that receive the lowest star ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), unless they improve the quality of care. Specifically, the comptroller recommends that the New Jersey Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS) within the Department of Human Services, in coordination with the New Jersey Department of Health (DHS), impose stepped restrictions on Medicaid awards to the troubled facilities. If the LTCs do not improve, DMAHS may bar them . . .